It will take some time still for the fourth season of Netflix’s The Witcher to release, and with Henry Cavill no longer reprising the role of the enigmatic White Wolf, who knows whether public reception to the dark fantasy series is going to stay positive. Till then, fans of Geralt of Rivia can treat themselves to the latest animated movie set in the Witcher universe, Sirens of the Deep, an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story, “A Little Sacrifice.” Geralt’s latest adventure is a one-shot story that sees the titular monster hunter trapped in a growing turmoil between denizens of land and sea, one that the monster hunter needs to quell to stop wanton bloodshed by finding the culprit who has sown the seed of discord. The medium being animation, there are plenty of beautiful sequences that do justice to the subterranean kingdom of Ys in the world of Witcher. However, flimsy characterization and an uninspired plotline hinder the movie and keep it from reaching its potential, making it a one-time watch that will be forgotten in no time.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Were Bremervood and Ys in Conflict?
Sirens of the Deep opens with Geralt and Jaskier taking a stroll along the coastal areas of the kingdom of Bremervood, as the monster hunter hopes to come across an Allamorax, which is allegedly preying on the pearl divers in the locality. His wish is fulfilled soon enough, as the giant amphibian monster begins attacking Geralt and leads him to the underwater kingdom of Ys, where Geralt manages to overpower the beast and almost proceeds to kill it. A bunch of merpeople of Ys reveal the Allamorax hasn’t hurt any human beings so far, and Geralt, who by now is accustomed to the deceitful nature of humans, suspects he might have been lied to about the incidents surrounding the disappearance of the pearl divers.
The longstanding peace between Bremervood and Ys is disrupted as both sides accuse each other party of conspiring against them. Prejudiced humans don’t care a dime about the existence of Merpeople and overexploit their home—the ocean—resulting in a growing restlessness among the Merpeople, which their King Basim and Queen Dahut fail to mitigate. Amidst rising possibilities of conflict, there is a ray of hope as Princess of Ys, Sh’eenaz, and Prince of Bremervood, Agloval, are in love with each other, and their union might act as a catalyst to restore peace between two kingdoms.
Who Was Responsible For The Killing Of the Pearl Divers?
While attending the Imbaelk festival of Bremervood, Jaskier and Geralt come across Bard Small Eye Essi Daven, Jaskier’s childhood friend. As it turns out, Jaskier had grown up in Bremervood but didn’t stay at this part of the world for long, as his creative disposition made him an easy target for bullies like King Usveldt’s bastard son, Zelest—who took out his frustration for his lack of belongingness on Jaskier. Essi defended Jaskier back then, and upon learning that he has returned to his birthplace all these years later, arranges means to meet him. Essi and Geralt share a glance, and it doesn’t take long for sparks to fly, although Geralt hasn’t gotten over his violet-eyed witch paramour, Yennefer of Vengerberg. During the festival, Jaskier and Geralt also learn that Zelest has become King Usveldt’s trusted commander, and the king, who doesn’t totally approve of his son’s connection with the Princess of the Merpeople, has invited Princess Nispen of Maribor as a prospective suitress.
Anyway, after a group of fishermen are violently murdered while sailing at night, the king asks for Geralt’s help to track down the culprit responsible. Geralt begins to investigate in his own way when he is attacked by a Vodnik, and upon chasing the amphibian warrior to locate its lair, Geralt inadvertently ends up bringing Zelest and his troop to the location, who launch an attack on the Vodniks. As a result, a violent clash ensues between the two parties, resulting in the death of humans and merpeople. In the aftermath of this incident, the prospect of peace appears as a far-fetched dream, and even Sh’eenaz and Agloval find themselves drawing lines between themselves. As both kingdoms begin preparations for war, Geralt, Essi, and Jaskier try to find the culprit to prevent conflict before it escalates to an uncontrollable level. Essi is disheartened to see young teenagers getting forcibly conscripted and becomes more determined than ever to prevent the upcoming conflict.
With Essi’s knowledge about the lay of the land, Geralt’s investigation reveals someone from the Merpeople royalty was responsible for the attack on the fishermen and pearl divers, and that particular someone is adept at dark magic and shape-shifting, given they used the guise of a Kraken to launch a vicious attack from beneath the seas. This manes Melusina, the Sea Witch, aunt of Sh’eenaz, the only viable suspect. As it turns out, Melusina’s ambitions to see herself on the high seat of the kingdom of Ys were thwarted by her inability to give an heir to King Basim, whereas her sister, Dahut, became the queen after giving birth to King Basim’s only child, Sh’eenaz. In her greed for power, Melusina joined hands with King Usveldt to create turmoil between two kingdoms and usurp the throne of Ys. King Usveldt had his own agenda, as he wanted his legacy to survive, which wouldn’t have been possible had Agloval ended up getting together with the Princess of the Merpeople. When Usveldt failed to convince his son to break things off with his non-human lover, he took drastic measures to wage war between kingdoms to delude Agloval into considering the denizens of the sea to be their enemy.
Did Sh’eenaz and Agloval Reunite?
As Geralt reveals the truth in the royal palace, Zelest decides to turn his back on his father, following a change of heart after seeing his true colors. Geralt also reveals that Melusina has been present in the court posing as Princess Nispen all along, and proving his assessment to be correct, Melusina reveals her true form before rushing back to the ocean.
As Usveldt decides to execute Geralt, Jaskier, and Zelest for their treachery by taking them to the ocean, Sh’eenaz comes to their rescue, and a war breaks out between humans and Merpeople. Eventually, as Melusina appears in her Kraken form, she ends up killing Zelest, and King Usveldt injures Sh’eenaz, rendering her unable to swim and nearly causing her to drown. Geralt takes care of the Kraken problem by killing the monster at last, and Sh’eenaz is healed by her mother, Queen Dahut. Agloval, who arrived with an army of his own, takes this chance to address his people and motivate them to make peace with the Merpeople for good. Despite all the wrongs his father has done, Agloval decides to forgive Usveldt and reveals his wish to marry Sh’eenaz following a procedure that will turn her into a human. Melusina has created a concoction for Sh’eenaz, which will apparently allow her to become human and spend a so-called normal life with her beloved.
However, during the royal wedding, Agloval reveals that it is he who plans to make the sacrifice of shunning his human form and transforming into a merman to be together with his lover. Usveldt feels betrayed, as he won’t have a chance to continue his line with his son gone, but Geralt mentions it is for the better that a king who prioritizes his vanity over the well-being of his progeny never get to further his legacy at all.
What’s Next For Geralt And Jaskier?
Geralt finally commits to his feelings for Essi, and the duo spend a night together. However, the journey of a Witcher doesn’t match with Essi’s dream of having a quiet, peaceful life, and Geralt’s nihilistic worldview doesn’t seem to sync with Essi’s optimistic ideology. Geralt eventually parts ways with her and, along with Jaskier, proceeds to Caingorns in the Dragon Mountains—which allows viewers to pinpoint the timeline to the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher.
